1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to marine steering helms, and, more particularly, to a tiltable steering helm having a universal joint which allows the steering wheel to be tilted at a variety of angles while maintaining the ability to rotate freely and steer the vessel.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In modern marine vessels, including for example, motor boats, it is common to provide a helm in which a dashboard-mounted steering wheel mechanism controls the boat rudder. The function of the steering mechanism is to translate rotational movement of the steering wheel into an angular deflection of the rudder thereby steering the boat
Most prior art helms are built with the dashboard disposed either vertically or tilted 20 degrees from vertical. Although these helms are suitable for steering the vessel, the fixed steering wheel does not allow for adjustment to meet the needs of individual users. For example, a tall person may prefer the wheel to be tilted up higher than would a shorter person, but the standard fixed helm cannot be tilted and must remain at the angle set by the manufacturer.
Because it would be much more convenient to have an adjustable helm, several tiltable helms have been proposed. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,090 issued to Grinnell, et al. discloses a steering mechanism in which the steering column may be pivoted around a pivot bolt to accommodate the operator. U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,545 issued to Loeffler discloses a different type of adjustable helm wherein the steering post may be adjusted either longitudinally or angularly by manipulating a segmental adjusting block and fasteners which lock the post in place.
Several types of vertical-mount adjustable helms are also known and available from Teleflex Marine, of Limerick, Pa. Such vertical-mount prior art helms permit steering wheel adjustment over a range of degrees.
While these prior art helms provide steering wheel tilt capabilities, they nevertheless suffer from significant shortcomings and drawbacks. For example, different steering mechanisms are required for vertically mounted and tilt-mounted helms. Prior art helm adjustment may require the use of tools, and may be quite time consuming. Also, in many prior art helm designs, efficient and durable linkage between the wheel and the rudder is sacrificed for the sake of adjustability. These and other disadvantages of prior art adjustable helms, suggest the need for a more versatile and practical design.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved tiltable helm for marine vessels.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a tiltable helm in which the rotational movement of the wheel position is independent of the angle of the wheel shaft.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable helm having a single mounting mechanism that permits mounting of the helm either on a vertically or 20 degree tilted dashboard.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a helm which operates efficiently and may be used on most modern marine vessels.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tiltable helm utilizing a universal joint having a five-piece yoke which provides a reliable linkage between the steering wheel and boat rudder while allowing steering wheel adjustability.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide an accordion-type tilt helm cover which is flexible and attachable to the tilt helm assembly without the use of hardware.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter.